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Brazil to host Second Conference of Intellectuals from Africa & the Diaspora (II CAID)

The Second Conference of Intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora (II CIAD) will be held in Salvador, capital city of the Brazilian state of Bahia, from 12 to 14 July 2006.

CIAD, an initiative of President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal and supported by the African Union (AU), aims to "mobilize the intellectuals from Africa and the Diaspora about the African Union and NEPAD".

Its first conference, which took place in Dakar, Senegal in October 2004, gathered about 700 participants, including some of the most noted thinkers from Africa and its diasporas, various heads of African states and other government representatives, members of international organizations and non-governmental organizations, as well as students, teachers and other interested individuals.

Brazil agreed to host the second gathering of CIAD, following the decision to hold the next conference in a country of the diaspora. The choice of venue is particularly fitting as Brazil has the second largest Black population outside of Africa, with Bahia boasting one of the highest percentages (around 75%) of Black and mixed-race residents of any Brazilian state.

II CIAD is organized under the theme "The Diaspora and African Renaissance" and aims to harness the contribution of intellectuals, from Africa and the diaspora, to promote development and social transformation; foster greater cooperation between Africa and its diaspora; and, seeks to engage intellectuals and policy makers with priority issues confronting Africans all over the world.

Up to 1000 participants, including former South African President Nelson Mandela, President Kuofor of Ghana, UN Secretary General Koffi Annan, Mr. Alpha Omar Konare, chairperson of the AU Commission, and Nigerian writer Wole Soyinka, are expected to attend. Government delegates from diaspora countries such as Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica will also be present, as will be high-level representatives of international organizations, invited intellectuals from Africa and the diaspora, and other interested groups and individuals.

CIAD is a commendable effort as Africa seeks to reach out to its diaspora (including an estimated 10 million African-born emigrants as well as over 200 million descendants of African slaves in the Americas) and involve this "sixth region" of the African Union in the continent's political, economic and social capacity-building initiatives.

It is also an important awareness-building exercise, both for continental Africans and for those in the diaspora as it seeks to make visible the linkages among the various African communities around the world. For example, it is common that when we talk about the African diaspora, we have in mind either recent African emigrants or those in the United States or the Caribbean that are of African descent. However, what we fail to realize is that the majority of Africans in the diaspora are to be found in Latin America, with places such as Brazil, Panama, and yes, even Guatemala, boasting important established Black communities.

CIAD also provides a platform where African political leaders and intellectuals can meet and discuss questions of concern to the development of the continent, as well as identify concrete actions and programs they can implement in partnership. Indeed, opportunities such as this are important in order to build rapport and confidence between these two groups, elements that are still sorely lacking in many parts of Africa as these two groups continue to eye one another with suspicion. In fact, one of the recommendations from the first conference was that "African Leaders [...] be more open to dialogue with the intellectuals and create an environment conducive to their effective participation in the African renaissance process," adding that good governance, leadership and political will are the essential elements for the creation of such an environment.

More detailed information on the conference can be found online at http://www.ciad.mre.gov.br/